@Smashter - The [doctor] conversation was also relevant to scientists---the real doctors ---minus the income/debt whiplash. Having one's identity totally tied up with the work and an inability to go back [to research] is analogous.

Unconventional investment style that focuses on preservation of capital, etc. I got some Harry Browne-ish vibes, but clearly different. Some interesting intersections with ERE ideas of wealth/capital and "enduring over the long term"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4_U6bS-cU4

I found that fascinating. He was articulating all the reasons why I can't bring myself to start investing.

"One man leaves the city life behind to build a cheap off grid log cabin and homestead in the Canadian wilderness, including a log home, an outdoor kitchen, an outhouse, a woodshed and a sauna bathhouse. Building mostly with hand tools, Shawn James harvests building materials from the forests north of Toronto, Canada and crafts them into functional tools and shelters using traditional woodworking tools and methods..."

Shawn James, who does the My Self Reliance YouTube channel that revolves around building a cabin in the woods, also has a personal channel. On it, he touches on some ERE type stuff in his Path to Self Reliance playlist.

The second link is to Shawn's personal account and the playlist where he discusses his journey and ERE-related thoughts.

Munger: Who would have guessed the Chinese Communists would have improved their big country as much as they have in the last 30 years?

Interviewer: Did that surprise you?

Munger: Well, they didn't the first 20 years. They had the Cultural Revolution. It was crazy. And now they have one of the greatest success records in the history of mankind. I don't know about you, but I did not predict it.

Interviewer: So what is the secret to China's success?

Munger: They copied Singapore. Remember, the Chinese leader said I don't care whether the cat is black or white, I just care that it catches mice. And they copied a very wonderful, famous Chinese man in Singapore, and lo and behold, they found the right Chinese leadership outside China, which amuses me. But he was Chinese. Look at the way it worked, in the whole history of the world, no nation that big has advanced that fast. And they did it by having a bunch of poor people save half their income. They didn't use the wealth of the rich world to get ahead, they used the savings of poor people. I am a huge admirer of what the Chinese have accomplished. And if you ask me who is the one man who did the most for China, it was Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore. They copied him.